Co-host Split Calculator.

How it works

Co-host arrangements run two ways: percent of net (cohost takes a fraction of revenue after pass-through costs) or flat fees (cohost charges a per-booking fee plus optional per-night fee). This calculator handles both with a mode toggle.

The math:

Both modes:

• Gross revenue = ADR × nights booked
• Net revenue = Gross − pass-through costs (cleaning, supplies, anything the cohost shouldn’t earn on)

Percent mode:

• Cohost share = Net × cohost percent
• Owner share = Net − cohost share

Flat mode:

• Cohost share = (per-booking fee × bookings) + (per-night fee × nights booked)
• Owner share = max(0, Net − cohost share)

The owner clamp at 0 prevents a slow month from showing a negative owner share when fixed cohost fees exceed net revenue. (In practice that means renegotiate, but the math doesn’t lie.)

How to use this calculator

1. Pick a mode — Percent of net (most common) or Flat fees (popular for high-volume cohosts).
2. Enter revenue inputs — ADR, nights booked in the window, and pass-through costs (cleaning, supplies, lodging tax if you want to settle on net of tax).
3. Enter cohost terms — either the percent (typically 0.15–0.30) or the flat per-booking + per-night fees.
4. Read the split — gross, net, cohost share with effective %, owner share with effective %.
5. Use the URL — every change updates the URL. Send the link to your cohost (or owner) for an aligned conversation.

This is for modeling the split, not invoicing. For ongoing reconciliation across multiple months, use The STR Ledger’s commission split tracker.

Frequently asked questions

What’s a fair cohost percentage? Industry typical is 20–25% of net for full management (listings, comms, dispatch, vendor coordination). Lower (10–15%) for “just the comms” arrangements. Higher (25–30%) for properties needing significant operational lift. Anything over 30% should come with very specific scope deliverables.

Should the split be on gross or net? Net (gross minus pass-through costs) is the fair structure. A cohost shouldn’t earn on the cleaning fee the guest paid that goes straight to the cleaner. If your contract is on gross, the cohost is double-dipping on cleaning.

Why can owner share clamp to 0? If you’re in flat-fee mode and the cohost charges $50/booking + $5/night with 8 bookings and 20 nights, the cohost is owed $500 — but if your net revenue is only $400, the calculator clamps owner share at 0 instead of showing -$100. The math says you’d owe the cohost out of pocket. That’s a sign the flat-fee structure isn’t sustainable at this volume; renegotiate.

Does this handle multiple cohosts or tiered splits? No. For tiered or multi-party splits, use The STR Ledger’s commission split workbook — it handles tiers, bonuses, performance kickers, and reconciliation across periods.

What about lodging tax in the split? Treat lodging tax as a pass-through cost (it doesn’t belong in net revenue, since you’re remitting it to the state). Include it in the “pass-through costs” input.